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      PSV 0 Rangers 1: Antonio Colak the new Ibrox hero as he kickstarts Light Blues Champions League dream

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      ALFREDO MORELOS didn’t travel with the squad for tonight’s clash after a dramatic fallout with Giovanni van Bronckhorst.  But there’s a new Rangers hero after Antonio Colak’s goal sends his side through to the Champions’ League group stages for the first time since the 2010/11 season.  
      Rangers players celebrate Antonio Colak’s goalCredit: Getty
      PSV fans did all they could before the match to prevent a Scottish party in Eindhoven tonight.  
      They tried to disturb the Rangers players’ sleeps last night by letting off fireworks outside their hotel.  
      And they even stopped the Gers team bus in its tracks on its way to the stadium as they hoped to disturb their preparation for the match.  
      But it wasn’t enough to put an end to the Euro resurgence under Van Bronckhorst as Rangers came out on top to win 3-2 on aggregate.  
      Both sides knew a whopping £40milion jackpot and a place in Europe’s most prestigious competition was on the cards for the winner of tonight’s tie.  
      And the Light Blues battled for 90 minutes to overcome their 2-2 stalemate at Ibrox last week as they held PSV at bay on Dutch soil. 
      They will now join Celtic in tomorrow’s group stage draw in Istanbul to find out their European fate and to see which European giants they will face up against in the coming months.  
      The absence of target man Morelos was the talking point before the match tonight after Van Bronckhorst left him out of the squad, leaving Colak as his only option up top.
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      He put his faith in the Croatian hitman and it paid off as he added another goal to his Rangers tally.
      And it won’t get any sweeter than his strike tonight.
      Van Bronckhorst opted for a familiar back four, with Jon McLaughlin getting the nod between the sticks.
      Borna Barisic, James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and James Sands lined up at the back.
      Glen Kamara earned a surprise start in midfield alongside John Lundstram and Tom Lawrence.
      Colak lead the line, supported by Ryan Kent and Malik Tillman on the wings.
      It was an unchanged side for Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was confident in the players who held Rangers to a draw last week.
      And it was his Dutch team who controlled possession early doors with Joey Veerman dictating the tempo in the middle of the park.  
      The 23-year-old came close to agreeing a deal with Rangers last summer, and he showed fans what they were missing out on as he controlled the Eredivise side’s midfield tonight.  
      It was the deadly duo Luuk De Jong and Man Utd target Cody Gakpo who came close for PSV in the opening few minutes though, but they couldn’t direct their efforts goalwards.  
      The Gers opted for an extremely high line at the back, allowing the likes of Gakpo and Ismael Saibari the space to run in behind.  
      But after weathering the early storm, it was Kent who burst onto the scene to create his side’s first real chance of the game.  

      On the 12th minute, the winger darted at Jordan Teze and Andre Ramalho as he cut in on his right foot for a shot, but it was well-saved by Walter Benitez.  
      Kent wasn’t done there though as he delivered a dangerous cross in for Colak just moments later, but the Croatian failed to get on the end of it.  
      The passages of play gave Rangers confidence as they started to grow into the tie.  
      By 20 minutes in, the roles had reversed and it was Van Bronckhorst’s men who looked the home team in the clash.  
      And Lundstram was nearly the man who broke the deadlock around the half hour mark as he fired a thunderbolt from outside the box towards Benitez, but it flew wide of the post.  
      At the other end of the park, teammate Sands nearly became the Ibrox villain as he gifted De Jong the ball from a goal-kick.  
      Luckily, defensive partner Goldson was there to step in and deny Gakpo though, after he was handed a clear-cut chance by the 38-cap international.  
      It didn’t take long for De Jong to have an even better chance after he was given the ball on a plate on the 39th minute.  
      Saibari whipped in a fantastic cross which beat both Sands and Goldson on the lunge, but fortunately for Rangers, De Jong wasn’t quick enough and it trickled away out of danger.  
      Teze then tried a similar chance, this time reaching the target man who beat Goldson, but McLaughlin was there to parry it clear.  
      The half-time whistle came at the perfect time for the Light Blues as PSV were on the attack yet again.  
      This time it was Gakpo who was played through by Erick Gutierrez, and the forward got the better of Goldson, but couldn’t keep his shot down as Rangers were let off with another chance.  
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      Rangers were handed a huge boost after the break as De Jong was forced off through injury to be replaced by Xavi Simons.  
      The wonderkid is no stranger to a goal after netting two in two in the Dutch top flight since arriving at the club, but De Jong caused the visitors all sorts of bother in the first half.  
      Despite losing their key man, PSV started the second 45 just like the first.  
      They were in control.  
      Lawrence showed them they couldn’t allow Rangers any space though, as the playmaker came ever so close to grabbing the opening goal.  
      He danced round the PSV defenders before having a pop from long range, which saw the ball smash off the crossbar and back into play.  
      But while it was Van Bronckhorst’s side’s best chance of the half, it wasn’t quite as good as their break of play moments later.  
      Tillman cleverly intercepted a goal-kick from Benitez as he tried to play the ball out from the back.  
      He snatched the ball off them in the box and picked out Colak who was free and waiting in the six-yard box for a cutback.  
      And the Croatian was able to smash it home into an empty net to fire Rangers ahead.  
      Van Bronckhorst would have been happy to see anyone find the net tonight, but it will have been extra special to see Colak being the hero as he stepped up to the plate in Morelos’ absence.  
      They were ahead on the night and in the tie, but it was far from over.
      Phillip Max and Gakpo came close with chances, only to be denied by McLaughlin in the Rangers goal.
      The Gers continued to batten up the hatches as the Dutch pushed more and more men forward.
      But they couldn’t breakthrough the disciplined defence as Rangers saw out the final minutes to keep an important clean sheet, which fired them through to the group stages.

      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      PSV vs Rangers LIVE: Stream, TV channel as Colak fires Gers ahead in Champions League play-off – latest

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      RANGERS have work to do if they’re to make the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2010.The Gers drew 2-2 with former European champions PSV Eindhoven last week as they failed to make the most of home advantage at Ibrox.
      That means they’ll need to get a result in the Netherlands if they are to qualify, following an Armando Obispo equaliser for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side.
      But Rangers are set to benefit from there being no away goals rule in this year’s Champions League, meaning there will be a penalty shootout if the aggregate score remains 2-2 rather than PSV going through automatically.
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      Kick-off time: 8pm
      TV channel: Premier Sports 1
      Live stream: Premier Player
      PSV XI: Benitez; Teze, Ramalho, Obispo, Max; Sangare, Veerman, Gutierrez; Saibari, Luuk De Jong, Gakpo
      Rangers XI: McLaughlin; Tavernier, Goldson, Sands, Barisic; Lundstram, Kamara, Lawrence; Tillman, Colak, Kent.

      A night to remember in Eindhoven
      Rangers fans will talk about the time they went abroad and came back with a place in the Champions League group stage.
      From start to finish, van Bronckhorst’s side stuck to their game plan and managed to silence the wall of noise at the Philips Stadion.
      Weathering the second half storm as PSV tried to break the deadlock to tip the tie in their favour.
      The foresight by Tillman to anticipate Benitez’s pass to Ramalho, pressuring the defender into an error and robbing him of the ball.
      Squaring the ball to Colak who rolled the ball into an empty net.
      There will be some sore heads in Glasgow tomorrow.
      PSV hopes and dreams shattered in front of their own fans.
      Credit: Dan Westwell
      From zero to hero….
      Antonio Colak broke Rangers’ hearts 12 months ago as he scored a quickfire double for Malmo to knock Rangers out of the competition.
      At the time he was on loan at the club from PAOK Salonika and the Glasgow giants saw something in the player as they looked to secure a transfer for the striker.
      Fast forward to tonight, Colak scoring the pivotal goal to send ‘Gers through to the group stage of the Champions League.
      Once he signed for the club, he laid out his dream of scoring the goals to send the club into the Champions League group stage draw and boy has he delivered.
      Credit: AP
      Gio ends decade of pain
      Rangers will be competing in the Champions League group stage for the first time in 12 years thanks to the victory in Eindhoven this evening.
      Antonio Colak’s goal sends van Bronckhorst’s side into the promised land along with the riches that comes with it.
      You can see from the celebrations at the final whistle how much it means to these players to compete in Europe’s elite competition.
      Credit: PA
      ‘Gers unbeaten run continues
      Rangers fans may want them to play all their European games in Eindhoven.
      They have never lost a game here and more importantly, tonight’s win takes them into the group stage draw tomorrow.
      The players go to the away end, thanking the fans who travelled and enjoying the moment with them.
      FT: PSV 0-1 Rangers (2-3)
      The referee brings the game to a close and the celebrations start with van Bronckhorst and his coaches doing a Poznan on the touchline.
      Rangers are in the Champions League group stages.
      What a night for these fans who have made the trip to Eindhoven.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      90+4. Van Ginkel meets the cross but his header drifts wide.
      McLoughlin watches the ball out for a goal kick, running the clock down.
      We are seconds from Rangers returning to the promised land.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      90+2. PSV are knocking balls into the box hoping for the second ball to drop to a red and white shirt.
      Colak comes off for Sakala.
      Rangers fans in the crowd bite their nails down to the knuckle.
      Credit: Rex
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      90. The collective groan comes from the away end.
      The fourth official holds his board up showing four minutes of added time.
      PSV are getting closer to ‘last chance saloon’ time.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers – Van Ginkel yellow card
      88. The home fans try and make themselves heard to lift their team in these final stages.
      Van Ginkel is penalised for a foul on Sands.
      No complaint about the card for the high tackle on the Rangers man.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      86. Max comes off for Van Ginkel for PSV.
      That is the same player who once spent years being loaned out to various clubs around Europe by Chelsea.
      Rangers have PSV boxed into their own half at the moment.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers – Obispo yellow card
      84. Scott Wright skips past Obispo down the right.
      The defender chops him to the ground.
      Chance for the Rangers man to run the clock down a little.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      82. As Ramalho came off, he kicked and punched his seat in the stands.
      The PSV centre-back knows he may have cost them a place in the competition.
      Rangers are getting bodies in the way of everything PSV have to throw at them.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      80. PSV are constantly looking to switch play from one flank to the other to stretch Rangers.
      They are managing to keep the wolf from the door at the moment.
      Every shot wide of the goal by the hosts move Rangers closer to that Champions League group stage.
      Credit: Getty
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      78. Every minute must seem like an age for the visitors.
      PSV are dominating the ball and looking to try and unpick the Rangers defence.
      Great play by Lundstram as he heads the ball back calmly to his keeper.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      76. PSV are starting to turn the screw now.
      Saibari comes off for Vinicius.
      The corner is whipped in but Rangers manage to clear.
      Backs to the wall time for the ‘Gers right now.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers – Gakpo chance!
      74. Kamara and Lawrence come off for Wright and Arfield.
      van Bronckhorst looking to freshen things up in the centre of the park.
      Simons threads in Gakpo, one on one with the keeper.
      Great save from McLoughlin.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      72. Huge pressure on the home side now.
      With every minute that goes by, they are a step closer to crashing out of the Champions League.
      This will test the management credentials of van Nistelrooy now.
      PSV are looking dangerous on the attack with Simons, PSV players almost queueing up at the back post.
      He finds Max who mishits his shot, dragging it wide of the goal.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers – Mwene yellow card
      70. Chance for Rangers to slow the game and give themselves some breathing space.
      Kent does well to draw the foul from Mwene.
      PSV are desperately trying to find a way back into this game.
      Credit: PA
      PSV 0-1 Rangers – Tillman chance!
      68. Kent cuts inside and looks to get a shot away but it is blocked.
      It deflects into the path of Tillman who shoots from the edge of the box.
      If anything he strikes it too well and the keeper is able to save.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers – Kent yellow card
      66. Kent is booked for following through on Sangaré.
      Lundstram heads the ball clear.
      They do say you are at your most vulnerable straight after a goal.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers – Lundstram yellow card
      64. Simons is fouled by Lundstram which earns him a yellow card.
      PSV have a free-kick some way out.
      It has awoken the home fans.
      Colak heads it clear for a corner.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      62. Massive goal for the visitors.
      PSV now have it all to do.
      The away fans can be heard from the top of the stands now.
      PSV 0-1 Rangers
      60. Fantastic play by Tillman anticipating the short pass to the defender by the keeper.
      He was on top of him straight away and won the ball back.
      As Benitez comes out to him, he squares the ball for Colak to knock the ball into an empty net.
      Credit: Rex
      Goal – Antonio Colak (Rangers)
      PSV 0-0 Rangers
      58. What a goal that would have been.
      The keeper was beaten all ends up and getting nowhere near that one.
      You could feel the stunned silence from the home fans as it rattled the woodwork of Benitez’s goal.
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      Premier League’s elite find out their Champions League fate today in draw – with huge financial windfalls for each club

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      PREMIER LEAGUE clubs have never seen a season like it.And Thursday’s Champions League group-stage draw in Istanbul will only bring home to fans just how much a test of strength even only the FIRST half of the campaign is going to be.
      Real Madrid won the Champions League last season after beating LiverpoolCredit: Getty
      Tottenham’s return to the Euro elite will have a major knock-on effect for N17 finances while Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been finalists over the past two years.
      But with surprise Prem pace-setters Arsenal, as well as Manchester United, having to wait an extra 24 hours before discovering their Europa League schedule, all of England’s Big Six — plus potentially West Ham — will be plunged into a fixture list like they have never known.
      The winter World Cup means that the domestic campaign will be split in two, with 16 Prem games by November 13 – a six-week break – and then 22 more matches from Boxing Day.
      Yet it has also forced Uefa to redraw its normal timetable, meaning an unprecedented programme from the start of next month.
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      The six Champions League group games – starting on September 6 – will be compressed into just 57 days, six midweeks out of nine.
      Two of the other midweek slots are taken up by the lone international break before the World Cup, when England must take a minimum of four points from matches with Italy and Germany to have any chance of avoiding Nations League relegation.
      With boss Gareth Southgate looking to fine-tune his Qatar preparations, there is not much chance of players being rested.And the ‘spare’ dates, October 18-20? A chance for respite, possibly?
      Nope. That has a full Prem fixture programme, including Liverpool hosting West Ham, Manchester United against Spurs at Old Trafford and City’s visit to Arsenal.
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      And between the weekend before the start of Europe, when Arsenal travel to United, to the one after it is over – with Spurs playing Liverpool and Arsenal at Chelsea – there will be 12 Big Six Prem clashes.
      It ensures that this will truly be a test of the resources and reserves of even England’s wealthiest clubs.
      Perhaps opening the door for those outside the elite to think they can bring some of the big guns down a peg or two.
      But for Chelsea, Liverpool, City and Spurs there will, rightly, be little sympathy – only expectations.
      Financially, they can all anticipate huge windfalls.
      City have banked £53m without kicking a ball, Spurs £37.5m, with a potential maximum for Pep Guardiola’s Prem champions of £125m if they win every game.
      But for Guardiola, that lack of a Champions League crown on the Etihad sideboard is more than an itch for the Spaniard to scratch – it is a gaping wound.
      It will have hurt him more to see arch pragmatist Carlo Ancelotti lift a record fourth title, even though it was against Jurgen Klopp and Co.
      Ancelotti somehow found a way to beat Thomas Tuchel, Guardiola and Klopp, despite his side looking dead on their feet against all three.
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      Real Madrid’s 14th European crown was a dagger in the Prem’s belly, despite the fact England stands clear at the top of Uefa’s coefficient.
      For all the talk of supremacy, English teams have won only two of the last ten Champions Leagues, three fewer than Real alone.
      And both of those wins – Liverpool in 2019 and Chelsea two years later – also saw them beat English teams in the final. It is probably a good job Prem sides cannot meet a home rival until the last eight in the spring.
      The last English side to beat a non-Prem one in the final was Chelsea against Bayern Munich in 2012.
      Of course, an English team did beat a foreign one – indeed, a side coached by Ancelotti – the last time the final was played in Istanbul.
      And Liverpool fans will certainly never forget that.
      But as balls are drawn, it will be about the imminent future, the travel schedule and path for all four sides.
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      And despite their spats Guardiola, Tuchel, Klopp and Antonio Conte will find plenty in common.
      None of them will have any excuses, either. Or, at least, none that anybody else will care about. More

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      Champions League draw simulated: Chelsea more likely to face Real Madrid than AC Milan, Bayern Munich or PSG

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      CHELSEA are more likely to be drawn against Real Madrid than any other pot one team in Thursday’s Champions League draw, data has shown.Carlo Ancelotti’s side knocked the Blues out in the quarter-finals of last season’s competition, winning a thrilling tie 5-4 thanks largely to Karim Benzema.
      Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid last seasonCredit: The Times
      Real are the side Chelsea are most likely to be drawn with based on 60,000 simulationsCredit: @footantic
      Madrid then went on to lift the trophy for a record-extending 14th time, beating Manchester City in the last four and Liverpool in the final.
      Now Chelsea could be set to meet them again – but this time much earlier in the tournament.
      Thomas Tuchel’s men are in pot two for the draw and will face one of Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto or Ajax in the group stage.
      They cannot be drawn with Man City as teams from the same country cannot come up against one another until the quarter-finals.
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      But according to Footantic on Twitter, 60,000 simulations of the draw have been conducted and in 16.5 per cent of them Chelsea have been grouped with Real Madrid.
      They are narrowly ahead Frankfurt and PSG, with AC Milan thought to be the least likely of the seven teams to face Chelsea.
      Pot three also has some very difficult sides which the Blues could come up against.
      Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Sporting Lisbon are all in that pot of eight.

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      As are Inter Milan – a fixture which would see Romelu Lukaku return to Stamford Bridge just months after leaving on loan.
      Pots for Champions League draw:
      Pot one: Real Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Manchester City, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Ajax.
      Pot two: Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, RB Leipzig, Tottenham
      Pot three: Borussia Dortmund, RB Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Napoli, Sporting Lisbon, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, Club Brugge, Celtic.
      Pot four: Benfica, Maccabi Haifa, Viktoria Plzen [more teams yet to qualify]. More

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      Uefa’s Champions League best XI is LEAKED with Liverpool boasting joint-top four players but there’s no Mo Salah

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      UEFA’S Champions League best XI for the 2021-22 campaign has been leaked a day early – and it contains some big surprises.The Champions League draw is due to be held on Thursday – with the occasion usually used to announce the team of the tournament for the previous season.
      Liverpool and Real Madrid both have four representatives
      There was no place in the team for any of Liverpool’s forward playersCredit: EPA
      Karim Benzema finished as Champions League top scorer with 15 goalsCredit: Reuters
      But this year a technical report released by Uefa on Wednesday has leaked the full line-up.
      Finalists Real Madrid and Liverpool both have four players in the squad – although Real summer signing Antonio Rudiger played for Chelsea in last year’s competition.
      His team-mate Thibaut Courtois was selected as goalkeeper after arguably being the star performer of the tournament – the Belgian made nine saves in the final win over Liverpool.
      The rest of the defence is made up of Reds however, with Virgil van Dijk flanked by Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

      However, surprisingly there are no Liverpool forwards in the squad after Mo Salah scored just one goal in the knock-out phase.
      Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz faired better with three and two goals respectively in the second half of the competition.
      But neither compared to Real’s deadly duo of Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema, who finished top scorer on 15.
      Vinicius contributed four goals and seven assists and also grabbed the winner in the final.
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      Luka Modric and Fabinho are the other two players representing Real and Liverpool and they are joined by Kevin De Bruyne in midfield.
      The Belgian had another brilliant tournament and only missed out on a final place by the smallest of margins after Real’s remarkable semi-final comeback against Manchester City.
      The final player in the team is Kylian Mbappe despite Paris Saint-Germain’s second-round exit.
      The Frenchman tore Real Madrid apart on several occasions in that tie, scoring twice over the two legs before the Spanish giants mounted another incredible comeback. More

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      Lionel Messi can break Cristiano Ronaldo Champions League record this season and Man Utd ace can’t do anything about it

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO won’t be able to stop rival Lionel Messi breaking his phenomenal Champions League record this season.Ronaldo tops the all-time goal scorer chart in the competition with 141 goals in 185 games.
      Messi can overtake Ronaldo as the Champions League all-time top scorer as the Man United ace won’t feature in the competition unless he leaves Old TraffordCredit: AFP
      The 37-year-old has racked up the sensational tally across two spells at Man United, plus stints at Porto, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
      But Messi is hot on Ronaldo’s heels with 125 goals in 156 appearances in the competition.
      Just 15 goals stand between the football gods – and Messi has the perfect opportunity to close the gap this season as Ronaldo won’t be participating in the Champions League as it stands.
      Ron’s current team United failed to qualify for the tournament last season – leaving Messi to run riot with Paris Saint-Germain.
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      The Argentine will have 13 games to usurp Ronaldo’s record if PSG reach the final.
      Although the Parisians only managed to reach the last 16 in the previous campaign with Messi contributing five goals along the way.

      But Ronaldo can throw a spanner in the works if he gets to leave United this summer.
      The Portugal legend has made it clear that he wants to leave Old Trafford to play in the Champions League.
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      However, finding a new club has proved difficult for Ronaldo as no club seem to be interested in taking him on.
      Borussia Dortmund were the latest club linked with the attacker – but they’ve since denied the rumours.
      On top of that, United boss Erik ten Hag insists that Ron is still a key part of his squad despite dropping him for the club’s win over Liverpool. More

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      Liverpool could draw Real Madrid in nasty Champions League group draw with chance for revenge

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      LIVERPOOL face a potential Group of Death in Thursday’s Champions League draw.With Manchester City taking the Pot 1 spot for winning the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp’s side must settle for a place in Pot 2 alongside fellow English sides Chelsea and Tottenham as well as Barcelona and Juventus.
      Liverpool will be desperate to go one step further than they did in the 2021-22 Champions LeagueCredit: Getty

      The Reds won Europe’s top competition for the sixth time in 2019 but fell just short of a seventh crown to Real Madrid in May’s final.
      And they could be pitted against the holders in a repeat of their Paris showdown.
      As champions of Europe and Spain, Real Madrid are in Pot 1.
      The addition of Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco makes them an even stronger side as they look to land a record-extending 15th crown. 

      Joining City and Real in Pot 1 are Europa League champs Eintracht Frankfurt as well as Uefa’s No1-ranked club Bayern Munich and fellow league winners AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto and Ajax – with no Russian teams allowed. 
      Liverpool cannot face Pep Guardiola’s men as they are from the same country but trips to the San Siro, Allianz Arena or Parc des Princes would also be stern tests.
      Speaking of the San Siro, Inter Milan are arguably the strongest team in Pot 3. 
      The Nerazzurri missed out on the Serie A title to rivals AC last season but have snapped up Romelu Lukaku, Andre Onana, Robin Gosens, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Joaquin Correa this summer.
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      The teams in Pot 3 are almost all confirmed – with Benfica knowing they will sneak in if they see off Dynamo Kyiv in their play-off on Tuesday. 
      Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg, Napoli and Sporting Lisbon are among the remaining big hitters in Pot 3. 
      And to complete the Group of Death, Liverpool might have to play French giants Marseille. 
      They are guaranteed their spot in the Champions League group stages after finishing second in Ligue 1 last term. 
      Alexis Sanchez and Nuno Tavares have come in while the club have secured permanent deals for Pau Torres, Matteo Guendouzi and Cengiz Under to make Les Phoceens a real threat. 
      Pot 4 will definitely include Celtic and Club Brugge.
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      The remaining spots will be filled this week through the final play-off round with Rangers, PSV Eindhoven, Copenhagen and Red Star Belgrade hoping to qualify – rather than dropping into the Europa League.
      Liverpool will find out their opponents with the draw taking place in Istanbul – where the 2023 final will be played – at 5pm on Thursday.  
      Liverpool have six European Cups to their nameCredit: Getty
      Vinicius Jr grabbed the only goal of the 2022 final in ParisCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

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      Man City face nightmare Champions League group despite being in Pot 1 for draw with Barcelona among possible opponents

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      MANCHESTER CITY could face a nightmare Champions League Group of Death in Thursday’s draw – despite being in Pot 1.Pep Guardiola’s side are rewarded with a place in the top pot after winning the Premier League, while fellow English sides Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham are in Pot 2.
      Manchester City are among the top eight teams in the 2022-23 Champions League drawCredit: Getty

      The Citizens have never won Europe’s top competition – losing the 2021 final and then crashing out in spectacular fashion to eventual champions Real Madrid last year.
      Thankfully for Guardiola, they cannot be pitted against the holders in a repeat of their semi-final as the Spanish and European champs are also in Pot 1.
      The addition of Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco makes Los Blancos an even stronger side as they look to land a record-extending 15th crown. 
      Joining City and Real in Pot 1 are Europa League champs Eintracht Frankfurt as well as Uefa’s No1-ranked club Bayern Munich and fellow league winners AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto and Ajax – with no Russian teams allowed. 

      City cannot face compatriots Chelsea, Liverpool or Tottenham but Pot 2’s standout name is Barcelona.
      The Catalan giants brought in Robert Lewandowski to spearhead their attack while Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Raphinha and Jules Kounde also joined despite their financial woes.
      Pot 2 is stacked with plenty of dangerous teams, though, with City at risk of facing Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla or RB Leipzig.
      Arguably the strongest team in Pot 3 are Inter Milan. 
      The Nerazzurri were pipped to the Serie A title by AC last season but have signed Romelu Lukaku, Andre Onana, Robin Gosens, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Joaquin Correa this summer.
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      The teams in Pot 3 are virtually all done – with Benfica knowing they will slip in if they win their play-off against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday. 
      Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg, Napoli and Sporting Lisbon are among the other big hitters in Pot 3. 
      And to complete the Group of Death, Manchester City could have to play Marseille. 
      They are guaranteed their spot in the Champions League group stages after finishing second in Ligue 1 last term. 
      The additions of Alexis Sanchez and Nuno Tavares as well as permanent deals for Pau Torres, Matteo Guendouzi and Cengiz Under make Les Phoceens a real threat. 
      Pot 4 will definitely include Celtic and Club Brugge.
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      The remaining spots will be filled this week through the final play-off round with Rangers, PSV Eindhoven, Copenhagen and Red Star Belgrade hoping to qualify – rather than dropping into the Europa League.
      City will find out their opponents with the draw taking place in Istanbul – where the 2023 final will be played – at 5pm on Thursday.  
      Pep Guardiola’s side lost the 2021 Champions League final to ChelseaCredit: AFP
      There was more heartbreak in 2022 as City somehow crashed out to Real MadridCredit: The Times More